1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tank holding frame, more particularly to a tank holding frame adapted for use on a vehicle body so as to retain a fuel tank therein, while ensuring that the fuel tank can be conveniently removed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a conventional vehicle body 1 that can be found on a golf cart or on an industrial forklift. The vehicle body 1 has left and right frame members 12, 11 spaced apart from each other, a connecting bar 13 that interconnects bottom sides of the left and right frame members 12, 11, a reinforcing bar 14 disposed above the connecting bar 13 and interconnecting the left and right frame members 12, 11, a front frame member 15 connected to the connecting bar 13 and the reinforcing bar 14, a bottom frame member 16 connected to the connecting bar 13, an upper frame member 17 supported on the bottom frame member 16 and connected to the left and right frame members 12, 11, and a tank holding frame 18 disposed adjacent to the left frame member 12 for retaining a fuel tank 100 therein.
The left frame member 12 has a first bar section 121 that extends in a front-to-rear direction. The bottom frame member 16 has a second bar section 161 that extends in the front-to-rear direction and that is spaced apart from the first bar section 121 in a left-to-right direction. The upper frame member 17 has an upper bar section 171 that extends in the left-to-right direction and that is disposed above rear segments of the first and second bar sections 121, 161. The tank holding frame 18 includes front, first, second, and rear beams 181, 182, 184, 183, and a guard member 185.
The front beam 181 is disposed to extend in the left-to-right direction and has opposite ends welded to front segments of the first and second bar sections 121, 161 such that the front beam 181 is spaced apart from the upper bar section 171 in the front-to-rear direction. The first beam 182 includes a first beam segment 1821 that extends in the front-to-rear direction and that has front and rear ends, and a second beam segment 1822 that extends downwardly from the front end of the first beam segment 1821. The first beam 182 is disposed adjacent to the left frame member 12. The rear end of the first beam segment 1821 is welded to the upper bar section 171. The second beam segment 1822 has one end distal from the first beam segment 1821 and welded to the front beam 181. The second beam 184 includes a third beam segment 1841 that extends in the front-to-rear direction and that has front and rear ends, and a fourth beam segment 1842 that extends downwardly from the front end of the third beam segment 1841. The second beam 184 is spaced apart from the first beam 182 in the left-to-right direction. The rear end of the third beam segment 1841 is welded to the upper bar section 171. The fourth beam segment 1842 has one end distal from the third beam segment 1841 and welded to the second bar section 161. The rear beam 183 includes an upright beam segment 1831 that has upper and lower ends, and a horizontal beam segment 1832 that extends from the lower end of the upright beam segment 1831. The rear beam 183 is spaced apart from the front beam 181 in the front-to-rear direction. The upper end of the upright beam segment 1831 is welded to the first beam segment 1821 of the first beam 182. The horizontal beam segment 1832 has one end distal from the upright beam segment 1831 and welded to the second bar section 161. The guard member 185 is disposed above the front beam 181, extends in the left-to-right direction, and has opposite ends connected to the first and second beams 182, 184 respectively, by means of screws. The front, rear, first, and second beams 181, 183, 182, 184, and the guard member 185 are adapted to cooperate with the second bar section 161 and the upper bar section 171 of the vehicle body 1 to define a tank holding space for holding the fuel tank 100 therein. The fuel tank 100 has a tank body 101 made of plastic to reduce the load borne by the tank holding frame 18. Because the strength of plastic is relatively weak, replacement of the fuel tank 100 is unavoidable since the tank body 101 is prone to damage. The guard member 185 is disconnected from the first and second beams 182, 184 when it is desired to replace the fuel tank 100. However, since the front, first, rear, and second beams 181, 182, 183, 184, are welded to the vehicle body 1, and due to presence of a fuel inlet pipe 102 on the tank body 101, the front end of the fuel tank 100 must be lifted upward (as indicated by the arrow 103 in FIG. 3) and then pulled forward (as indicated by the arrow 104 in FIG. 3) such that the fuel tank 100 is tilted awkwardly at an angle in order to remove the fuel tank 100 from the tank holding space without interference between the fuel inlet pipe 102 and the upper bar section 171, which makes the removal operation troublesome and inconvenient.